Man's Inclinations Toward Either Good or Evil

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Man's Inclinations Toward Either Good or Evil Claremarie Fecteau The Iliad by Homer October 16, 2013 One of the reasons that Greek mythology is still studied around the world today is that it contains a great deal of philosophy. At first glance, mythology might not appear to be philosophical, but as the reader becomes acquainted with the different characters and events of great works such as, The Iliad and The Odyssey, we can see that these Greek myths gives real insight on the true nature of man. The Iliad, in particular, shows different aspects of human nature by recounting the thoughts, emotions and events surrounding two main characters, the Achaean war hero, Achilles and a Trojan fighter, Hector. The nature of man, according to The Iliad, is inclined either toward good or evil depending both on the character of the particular person and the whim of fate. Achilles is greatly ruled by his emotions. He will be inclined to evil if his passions are fixed in that direction. For example, Achilles shows intrinsically evil tendencies when he is filled with rage against Agamemnon for dishonoring him and, also, when his grief over Patroclus's death drives him to seek brutal revenge. However, he can show good, kind tendencies, as he did with Priam, when the gods compel his emotions to sympathy. Achilles gives some insight into his emotional inclinations when he says, “Anger that drives the sanest man to flare in outrage- bitter all, sweeter than dripping streams of honey, that swarms in peoples chests and blinds like smoke- just like the anger Agamemnon king of men has roused within me now...Despite my anguish I will beat it down, the fury mounting inside me, down by force.”1 While fate controls Achilles' ultimate destiny, the good or evil outcomes of his actions depend on Achilles' emotional state. Hector,

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